UN: Attack helicopters halt CAR rebels

The United Nations says its forces used attack helicopters to subdue rebels in Central African Republic.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that about 40 heavily armed rebels were just a few kilometers away from the town of Bambari.

Dujarric says “the peacekeeping mission intervened by air to stop progression of the armed elements” of the group, known by its French acronym FPRC. One rebel was killed, while seven others were wounded.

Concerns are mounting that the hostilities between two rebel groups – the FPRC and another group known as the UPC – could lead to open warfare in the Bambari area.

In December, UPC rebels were accused of killing 25 civilians in the town of Bakala hours after seven UPC rebels had been slain, according to Human Rights Watch.